Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 22, 2020)

Sushant Singh Rajput and Rhea Chakraborty clearly feel no pressure to address speculation around their relationship status. After frequent getaways together, from Ladakh to France and more recently, Italy, the rumoured couple was spotted together in a Bandra neighbourhood last month. The year seemed to have begun on a less ambiguous note for Sushant and Rhea, when the actor posted a picture of his reported ladylove, calling her “Meri Jalebi”. Soon enough, it was deleted.

But on Tuesday, wearing her heart on her sleeve, Rhea wished the actor on his 34th birthday with loved-up pictures of them together. The appended caption referenced the birthday boy’s affinity for space science and the title of a song by the British rock band Muse: “Happy birthday to the most beautiful ‘supermassive black hole’ that is known to mankind! Shine on, you, crazy diamond.” She then went on to describe him as a “boy with a golden heart” and he responded by calling her “my Rockstarrrr”.

The exchange was followed by what read like an inside joke. “Gol gappe khaane chalen?” Rhea asked. While it’s unclear if Sushant took her up on the offer, the duo’s fans will appreciate some clarity on this starry matter.

Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 17, 2019)

In a recent interview to Mirror (January 8), Sushant Singh Rajput had revealed that he is in talks for as many as 12 films. On Tuesday, he announced the first of them, the Vikram Malhotra and Vashu Bhagnani-produced Rifleman. Now, we have learnt that the actor who recently wrapped up Kizie Aur Manny, the desi adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars, in Paris, before flying down to Mumbai to continue with the promotions of his next, Abhishek Chaubey’s dacoit drama, Sonchiriya, is taking a short break from his hectic schedule to bring in his 33rd birthday on January 21.

The actor will fly off to Norway to tick off an item from his to-do list of 150 things. “I have dreams which I have written down, one of them being to paint the Northern Lights. That’s what I am gifting myself on my birthday. After so much work, I deserve a break,” the actor informed with a smile. When asked about his other 149-dreams, he quipped, “Dreams are not meant to be shared.”

The 32-year-old actor has a busy year ahead with as many as five films lined up for release. Besides Sonchiriya and Kizie Aur Manny, there’s the Tarun Mansukhani-directed action film, Drive, a remake of the 2011 American film by the same name, and Nitesh Tiwari’s Chhichhore, a slice-of-life comedy. Rifleman is also gunning to enter the theatres this year. 

Sushant Singh Rajput on coming to terms with the rumour mills and why he is building a base for himself which is a few hours’ drive from Mumbai
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 29, 2018)

It was a working birthday for Sushant Singh Rajput, who turned 32 on January 21, and that’s just the way he had planned it. “The idea of having a great birthday is to do what you like and I like acting. So, this year, I gifted myself the opportunity to shoot with a director I’ve always wanted to work with,” exults the actor, who is currently in Chambal filming Abhishek Chaubey’s untitled dacoit drama.

Prod him on whether he is concerned for his safety in the dreaded ravines and Sushant informs that he is far from apprehensive. “According to a recent survey, a man on his way to office in a busy city can die from at least 1000 different reasons. That’s reason enough for me to take one big risk for a great script,” he says with a laugh.

Okay, so he’s one fearless hero but what if he was abducted? What would, according to him, the reallife dakus demand as ransom? “My job probably, but they won’t get it. It’s taken a lot of effort to reach where I am today from where I was and I’m not going to let it go,” Sushant says fiercely.

Abhishek Chaubey, who has previously made films like Dedh Ishqiya and Udta Punjab, is known to be a perfectionist. While his leading man will not be drawn into discussing his prep as he’s yet to see if it is effective as is or needs more work, Sushant shares that according to him the most important job of an actor is to first convince himself that he is the character. And that’s one of the things he likes about Bhumi Pedneker, his co-star and fellow dacoit in the film. According to Sushant, Bhumi is a terrific actor who works incessantly on character-building. No wonder, then, that he is quite gung-ho about sharing screen space with her. “I’m a fan of anyone who works this way. We discuss many things, I observe and learn from how she does what she does,” he explains.

Before this, Sushant was shooting with another Abhishek— Abhishek Kapoor—for Kedarnath, which reportedly revolves around a Hindu-Muslim couple caught in a crisis in the temple town. In the time of love jihad, isn’t he afraid the film might run into controversy closer to its release for its communal undertones? “Most of our films emphasise on unity rather than divisiveness, ditto Kedarnath. Yes, today, we have come to fear many things, but these fears should not come in the way of us doing what we like,” Sushant asserts.

After two schedules, shooting on the film has come to an abrupt halt and if rumours are to be believed, Abhishek Kapoor is making changes to the script. True? “Absolutely not!” he retorts. “Most of the film is complete, only a small but very important chunk remains to be shot for which extensive preparation is required, hence the break.”

Next up is the adaptation of John Green’s 2012 bestselling novel The Fault In Our Stars that revolvs around a cancer patient who is forced by her parents to attend a support group, where she meets and falls in love with another cancer patient. The male protagonist is wheelchair-bound. Recently, Kalki Koechlin had revealed that for Margarita With A Straw she had roamed in a wheelchair for a month as part of her prep. What kind of efforts will he put in given his dedication to the craft? “There are degrees to which an actor can dig into a character but the bottom line is convincing yourself that you’re the character which is the first major step in convincing the audience,” he reiterates.

Many names, including that of Varun Dhawan and Aditya Roy Kapur, were doing the rounds to play the leading man. Did he worry about them landing the coveted part? “My life is very close to Alice In Wonderland. I’m curious about a lot of things but since acting is the most exciting, I invest all my time in finding a good script with a good director. After that there’s no time to think about anything else,” he smiles.

Meanwhile, he’s raced to the finish with Tarun Mansukhani’s action-thriller Drive. What’s delaying the release of the Karan Johar production? “We recently shot a scene and a song, the special effects are in the works. Post production takes time,” he explains, leaving the release date to the makers. However, you have to ask if, given his love for cars and the training he underwent, he would like to drive on the racing circuit someday? “Not as a professional but yes, whenever I get time, I do race with my friends in the circuit. My next goal is to get a flying license and I’ve already started working towards it,” he beams proudly.

Sushant has also been running an education programme and recently sponsored a trip to the US Space Camp Center for two school-going students. What other plans does he have to make it beneficial to students across the country? “A recent survey found that over 60 per cent of kindergarten kids will work for and with technologies that are still not invented. So, just educating kids is not enough, what we teach them is equally important. I’m working with a handful of extremely intelligent futurists/behavioural economists on the knowledge structure of education systems,” he says proudly.

It’s been a while since he bought a new apartment. When does he plan to shift in? “I am building a place which is a few hours’ drive from Mumbai and offers me more space. I’ll have a telescope room, a gaming VR room, a library, my own park… Money cannot buy you such luxuries in the city,” he points out.

While both he and Kriti Sanon have repeatedly denied being in a relationship, they fuelled speculations by bringing in the New Year together with their Raabta producer- director Dinesh Vijan in Switzerland. “I insulate myself from the daily news and have a Teflon coating on me for the times I get to hear about them. I’m largely unaffected by any kind of news, good or bad,” he says.

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 22, 2018)

While Twitter was abuzz with birthday wishes for Sushant Singh Rajput yesterday, the actor spent his big day in the remote location of Chambal, doing what he loves most — acting. Shooting for Abhishek Chaubey’s yet-untitled dacoit drama, he says he couldn’t have asked for a better birthday.

“I’ve always wanted to work with Abhishek and Manoj Bajpayee, so it was a happy birthday for me in the truest sense. I am opposed to working on birthdays and if you ask me, I wouldn’t say I worked yesterday. I genuinely believe that if it feels like work, it’s not worth doing it. Acting in films is an absolute celebration,” muses Rajput.

Over a year after the success of M S Dhoni - The Untold Story, his detractors point out how he hasn’t been able to capitalise on the biopic’s success. While his last release Raabta (2017) failed to set the cash registers ringing, his space odyssey Chandamama Door Ke did not kick off. That, however, hasn’t deterred him from giving his nod to an offbeat movie like the dacoit drama opposite Bhumi Pednekar. “If there is no risk, there is no fear. And if there is no fear, there’s no desire. So I like risks. When I was given the narration, I thought I wouldn’t be able to pull off this character. That was reason enough to do it.”

Admitting that he is picky when it comes to his films, he reasons, “I don’t believe I have to do a certain number of films. I like to maintain a balance between my acting and free time, so that I can indulge in other exciting things. This way, I’m able to give my best to any experience. My idea of success is not dependent on others’ opinion of me. I’m free of that burden.”

Besides Chaubey’s film, Rajput also has Kedarnath, which sees him opposite debutant Sara Ali Khan. What makes the film all the more special is that it reunites him with Abhishek Kapoor, who launched him in Bollywood with Kai Po Che (2013). “Gattu [Kapoor] guides all of us on set. It’s almost like reliving the experience of my first film.”

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; January 21, 2018)

Sushant Singh Rajput, who made his film debut five years ago with Kai Po Che! (2013), has had an interesting journey. On his birthday today, we quiz him about the various aspects of his life. Here are the secrets that he revealed...

What do you know today that you weren’t aware of last year?
That I will definitely survive 32 years.

What has changed after you turned 30?
The chance of getting a delayed engineering degree from my college is completely gone (I’m a college dropout).

The word you are never tired of hearing.
Action, in any context (laughs).

You can’t live without...
Dreams.

One thing which you would give your right arm for?
A stronger right arm.

What would you like to change about yourself?
I want to learn to say, no.

One thing you’d like to change about women...
Men’s general perception towards them.

A change you would like to see in the film industry...
A bit more fearlessness and unity.

What is that you love about the film industry?
It goes on...

A constant fear.
Fear of impermanence of everything.

Which phrase do you use often?
WTF.

A person outside your family that you trust implicitly.
Shekhar Kapur.

If you could turn back time, what would you like to relive?
Any moment spent with my mother.

The most cherished item in your wardrobe is...
My underwear.

An actor in the industry that you admire.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

If you need advice, whose number would you dial?
My publicist.

Name the one thing you have that Varun Dhawan doesn’t?
A flop.

A director you wish would offer you a film.
Anand Gandhi.

You want to see yourself paired with...
Tabu.

Which film of a contemporary did you truly enjoy last year?
Newton.

What’s that one thing you wish you had?
A time machine.

Which destination is on your travel wish list right now?
Norway.

You are protective about...
Any newcomer.

You are possessive about...
My nephew, Nirvanh.

A constant need...
The need to be understood.

The person you miss all the time...
My mother.

Which Hollywood actress would you love to hook up with?
Jennifer Lawrence.

The Hollywood actor whose life you would love to lead...
James Dean.

If not India, where would you want to live?
New Zealand.

What’s a prized possession that you have?
None.

Which artist do you admire the most?
Vincent Van Gogh.

Finally, what’s the one thing you want to do before you turn 33?
Get a flying license.

As he turns 31, Sushant takes stock of a year that will, among other things, see him play an astronaut; his extravagant birthday gift to himself and why Homi Adajania’s next is being reworked
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 21, 2017)


After bidding 2016 goodbye in London, Sushant Singh Rajput had headed to Dubai for an adventurous trip in the first week of January. Now, the 31-year-old actor is all set for the year ahead. He starts shooting for Tarun Mansukhani’s next, Drive, in mid-February with co-star Jacqueline Fernandez and began prep for Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan’s space-adventure, Chandamama Door Ke, in which he will be seen as an astronaut, on Friday. The film rolls mid-year.

“I was really looking forward to my first day of training in a Boeing 737 fixed base simulator, which was a lot of fun. I had done my homework by reading up extensively, so it wasn’t very difficult. In fact I did 20 take-offs with a hundred percent accuracy, but the landing was a little difficult. I’ll have two very distinctive looks in the film besides a little change in the way I speak,” says Sushant, who is also doing reading sessions for Drive and refutes rumours that the film is a remake of the 2011 Ryan Gosling-starrer neo-noir crime film by the same name.

“It’s an original script,” he asserts. The actor has never worked with his Drive heroine Jackie before. They interacted for the first time at length while rehearsing for their joint act at the recently concluded 62nd JIO Filmfare Awards, for which they grooved to “Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo”, “Aise Na Mujhe Tum Dekho” and “Hamma Hamma”. “We spoke about a lot of things. Both of us like reading so in between rehearsals, whenever I wrote something, she would come up to me and discuss it. She is a great dancer and extremely hard working but what I like the most about her is that her Hindi is superb,” Sushant says cheekily, revealing that he gave the Sri Lankan beauty some Hindi lessons too.

For his 31st birthday today, Sushant intends to spend threefour hours of the day all by himself, a ritual he’s been observing for years now. “I might go touring the city on my bike and meet a few close friends later. I am looking forward to working even harder,” the birthday boy says. Has he bought himself a present? “When I was very young, I’d got a miniature Maserati Quattroporte in blue with a packet of noodles. I loved playing with it and had wanted a real one ever since. As a gift to myself this year, I have booked a Maserati Quattroporte. It’s expected to be delivered in a few weeks,” Sushant beams.

His next release, Dinesh Vijan’s directorial debut Raabta with Kriti Sanon, was initially slated to release on Valentine’s Day this year but has been now pushed to June. “We are done shooting for the film, barring a song sequence with Kriti which will happen soon. We wanted teenagers to watch the film as well and were looking for a date post the exam season,” he explains, and denies rumours that Homi Adajania’s Takadum with Parineeti Chopra has been shelved.

“The original script had certain similarities to the plot points of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil so the writer is reworking the script, which takes a lot of time. Once the final draft is ready, I’ll look at it and give my dates for the film,” Sushant signs off.
------------------------------
Actor, who turns 31 today, to spend month with US astronaut as film prep
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; January 20, 2017)

When it comes to method acting, Sushant Singh Rajput is inarguably among those Bollywood actors who like to get under the skin of their characters. While preparing for Dibakar Banerjee’s Detective Byomkesh Bakshy (2015), the actor didn’t speak to his family for over three months. Similarly, to play a ticket collector in the M S Dhoni biopic, Sushant often hung out at Kharagpur railway station to learn the right body language and stayed at the railway quarters.

Now, to prepare for his next, Chanda Mama Door Ke, which is a space adventure, the actor is heading to NASA. “I am playing an astronaut in the film and I just finished training on a simulator this week. Sanjay (director Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan) has given me around 15 books and eight documentaries, including For All Mankind (1989) that documents National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Apollo mission, to understand the life of astronauts,” says Sushant, adding, “Sanjay has contacts in NASA. I will spend almost a month with them to understand an astronaut’s body language and mindset. Sanjay has already given a uniform with a badge. I wear it almost every day. I can’t wait to work on the film,” he says.

Sushant is often criticised for going overboard with preparation for his roles. The actor disagrees. “I don’t think there is anything like over-preparation. I do it for myself, and not to prove a point to anyone,” says the actor, who turns 31 tomorrow.

Does he have special birthday plans? “A friend is planning a party. I will also be working for a few hours. I also like to go on a long bike riding alone on my birthday, keeping my mind free of thoughts,” Sushant signs off.

Birthday boy Sushant opens up on life, his choices and his desires…
Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; January 21, 2016)

Sushant Singh Rajput doesn't like being called a star just yet. He says he would prefer being called an actor anyday. He's casual, candid and quite witty. In between bouts of laughter, Sushant discusses his love for films, people's perceptions about him and turning 30. Excerpts:

You’ve turned 30. Any change you would like to bring in more?
Well, there are quite a few things that I would like to change, but not because I am hitting a certain number age-wise, but maybe because I have become wiser and less stupid. For me, to become successful, famous or rich in order to prove a point to everyone that, 'Hey, look at me I am so good’ was a great driving force, say seven to ten years back. Not anymore. It doesn't mean that I am no more excited about my work, but I have realised that the experience that you get in the process and what you become because of it, is what matters.

Any regrets?
I regret not playing enough, not spending time with my loved ones, not learning to play the guitar and not trying tuxedos enough till now. I am gonna go for them now (smiles).

How do you usually celebrate your birthday?
Oh, I generally work during the day and party with a handful of friends in the evening till either all of us pass out or end up in washrooms throwing up not knowing why we started the celebrations in the first place.

Any birthday plans this year?
Well, quite the same way but this year, I think Ankita is secretly planning a cute surprise party for me. Too bad she has been using my credit card and I got to know!

What's the best birthday gift you've received?
A Breitling watch last year. From a secret admirer. I just wish she remembers my birthday this time too. Sweetheart, are you listening? (laughs)

One birthday gift you want to gift yourself this year.
I want to gift myself a Rolls Royce this year. But too bad, I can't!

Does public perception about you matter at all?
There are only three things in the world. Atoms, spaces between atoms and opinions. They are just opinions. They need not be right or wrong opinions. I am not concerned at all. See, there are two things. One: if all the movies that I do, get appreciated, I get very excited. All the hard work pays off. Number one payback is me being satisfied by what I did in the film. Second is the appreciation from the audience. That’s an added thing. Someone goes to the theatre, invests some Rs 200-300 on my film and is happy. Third, is now the next one I do, I will have the power to choose my film and also get paid more. If the second and third don’t happen, it doesn’t mean that I will be really affected. The first thing is very important. There’s no purpose or agenda, but it’s convenient for me and acting is something that gets me excited. There’s nothing else to it because it’s not like I have to be the best actor here someday.

What if you lose everything you achieved someday?
Nothing. I can do many other things to support the way I live, but it will be boring. This is exciting and that’s it. There’s nothing else to it and I don’t have to prove a point to anybody. If nothing happens, I will make my own film and I will watch it. I won’t put it somewhere where everybody will not get to see it and I will still be happy.

So you mean no one's opinions matter to you then?
A lot of them do, which is why I have stopped listening to them. It doesn’t mean that people sitting in front of me are telling me things and I don’t listen. I don’t meet them only (Laughs). I don’t go on these spicy channels and websites anymore. I am in the happiest state right now. I am doing the films that I want to do. I have a very loving family, Ankita and big dreams, but I am not obsessed about my future.

Do you plan your life or are you a 'living in the moment' person?
Initially, when I lost my mom and everyone was writing me off, I was trying to prove a point to everyone. But when big things started happening. I became a topper and then I started taking big decisions in my life. Everything has happened so quickly. I had no money, I had dropped out of college, I was supposed to go to Stanford and I came to... Versova! (laughs) I was then living with six people in a one-room kitchen, making my own food, talking about the monthly contribution, waiting for the auto-rickshaw in the rain to suddenly becoming famous, writing autographs, buying two luxury cars on the same day and buying this bike which is insanely, stupidly expensive.

Hasn't stardom ever hit you?
Initially, yes. I was taking myself very seriously. I was looking at the mirror at least 20 times a day! (Laughs) That was just for about a few days. I thought after all this, it would be something else. Nothing happened. I don't know how much money I have in my bank account right now. Not that I have a lot but it's that much that I don't need to think about money right now. Money was always a very important thing in my life at that point. It was a strong differentiator between taking big decisions. So, now, when I don't have to think about money regarding every choice I make, for me that's like a quantum jump. But nothing changed in my head.

You have changed a lot as a person in the last one year…
I think I have become more talkative now. I was a lot more reserved a year back. I used to think a lot more and I don’t do that much now. I have realised that thinking is such a waste of time. I am much more relaxed. I am extremely honest now and I just react to what people ask me.

Would you do a mindless masala film?
It has to make some sense to me. Is there a story to tell? If it’s there, is my director sure of it or is he just assembling things to make money? If he’s doing that, he’s right in his place. I also want to earn money, become more famous. I love it. I am not deliberately not doing a `100-200 crore film. If it happens, great. I will party all night!

Does it ever hurt that despite giving some great performances, your contemporaries are tagged as commercial ‘stars’?
You think about it sometimes. But at the same time, when things are right normally or are in the right places and you know exactly why you are doing what you are doing, then it’s just a matter of time. That’s why we generally make quick opinions.

Would you like to work with a superstar in an ensemble film ever?
I worked with Aamir Khan in PK, although I didn't have any scenes with him. So why not? I definitely can. I am not against the idea of working with a bigger star. They should be comfortable working with me.

No fear of being overshadowed?
I have been overshadowed for the first 25 years of my life when I was nobody to the world. But I was a superstar in my head! (Laughs)